Causes And Cures Of Dog Upset Stomach

Published: July 26, 2019Updated: July 24, 2019

If your dog could talk he would probably say that the best of the day is the mealtime. But, what if your canine miss on its meal? Is it a sign on some illness? In most cases that is a sign that your dog's stomach is upset. Learn how to know is your dog has a stomach upset and how you can help him to feel better.

When you have an upset stomach, you just reach for the closest medicine and your tummy gets better in no time. But how it works when your dog’s stomach gets upset? What are the symptoms of upset stomach in dogs and how can you make your pup feel better? Read on and discover.

Common Causes Of Upset Stomach

There are many reasons why your dog’s stomach might be upset, although there is one common cause seen in the following: he probably just ate something that he shouldn’t.

Dogs are adventurous all their life and they love exploring and discovering new tastes, just like children. Simply said, they are extremely curious. You should know that, just like in humans, when dogs are vomiting their body is fighting against something, with something that you can’t see. And if your canine, also, has regular diarrhea the chances are that he is suffering from some stomach issues.

Therefore, vomiting and diarrhea are always signs that your dog’s body is trying to expel something that shouldn’t be in their system. Next, stress can also trigger an upset stomach, as can bacteria imbalances in the gut and food sensitivities, that are most commonly caused by your dog’s diet. If in addition to diarrhea and vomiting, your dog refuses food it’s a clear sign that your dog’s stomach is heavily upset.

Also, your dog may lick his lips or even lick the air of objects. If he’s nauseous, you may see him eat grass regularly to alleviate his stomach or try to induce vomiting.

Symptoms Of Upset Stomach In Dogs

As mentioned earlier dogs body will try to cure itself and you will be able so it, as the most common symptoms of upset stomach are vomiting and diarrhea.

Vomiting In Dogs

Dogs vomit for numerous reasons, but stomach issues are one of the most common reasons for vomiting. These issues usually include an upset stomach from eating garbage or even spoiled food, while in addition, it can include gastritis as well.

Some of the reasons for vomiting may include bloat, inflammatory bowel disease, ingestion of toxic plants or grass, or even from eating too fast. Also, you should know that there are different types of vomiting.

Granular vs. Chunky Vomiting

Granular and chunky vomiting are often related to food or something that dog has ingested. Do you know the difference between these two types of vomiting? Chunky vomit is where you can still identify food parts.

When you can see food parts it means that the food has not been in the stomach very long, meaning that your dog didn’t digest the food. The reasons behind this are usually eating too fast or running after eating.

Diarrhea In Dogs

Diarrhea occurs when bowel movement become watery and loose. Almost always this is a result of an increased transition of fecal material accompanied by a decreased absorption of water, electrolytes, and nutrients. Besides, the watery stools are usually followed by an increased amount of defecating. Diarrhea can last for days and it can be frequent and appear several times a day.

There is also type of diarrhea known as acute diarrhea that can last for a shorter period of time and in most cases it’s nothing to worry about. This diarrhea is also known as a ‘light diarrhea’ and lasts for just a couple of days and it can be cured with simple remedies and with no additional medical help.

The truth is that in some cases, diarrhea just might not be to simple to treat. Moreover, diarrhea can be a symptom that might indicate another illness, and in some rare situations, it can lead to severe and life-threatening illness such as cancer.

Fast fact: Diarrhea happens often to dogs. Clean up the area, but take a good look at it.

Top 15 Signs Of An Upset Stomach In Dogs

Yes, there is a significantly longer list of signs of an upset stomach in dogs, next to diarrhea and vomiting. Including:

Does A Dog With An Upset Stomach Need To Go To The Vet?

Although diarrhea and vomiting are usually symptoms of many health-related conditions, in some cases they are not a sign of severe conditions. However, in most cases, diarrhea and vomiting tend to develop to more serious health conditions, even a life-threatening problem. But, when you should rush to the vet? You should know that not every unusual situation or behavior is a life-threatening situation.

Your dog may vomit just once or twice if he suffers from a mild cause. But, it’s important to react if the vomiting becomes more frequent. Especially if its followed by diarrhea. You should rush to the veterinarian office if:

If your dog suffers frequent vomiting or diarrhea over a few hours.

If your dog becomes dull and depressed.

If dog’s abdomen swells up.

If you notice any blood trace in the vomit or diarrhea.

If the vomiting or diarrhea lasts for more than 24 hours.

Can Warm Weather Increase The Chances Of An Upset Stomach?

Yes, in warm weather things are known for getting crazy. It’s like everything was silent during the winter and active once the summer is here. So, in warm weather, organic material tends to ‘do off’ more quickly, due to fungal and bacterial proliferation.

Also, dogs are more prone to picking up bad material on the street that can heavily upset their digestive system. Summertime is also a playtime, so it’s more likely to find a viral infection in dogie park. Simply said, summertime is pretty much a busy period for veterinarians and their gastrointestinal upsets.

Remedies For Dog’s Upset Stomach

There are two ways to help your dog feel better, by using medicine or by applying some of the home remedies. However, when it comes to using home remedies it’s important to contact your veterinarian first. The most common treatments:

Just Monitor – sometimes, the best thing that you can do to help your canine is to do nothing. It’s always wise to stop putting things in the dog’s stomach for 12 to 24 hours. This is always a good decision because you don’t want your dog to ingest additional things while he is going through a tough time.

In this case, fasting is fine for the dog and it’ll likely be harder for your dog to withhold food. Besides, this is a great way to monitor your dog’s reaction and to see if he still suffers from no food intake.

Ice Cubes – it’s crucial for dogs to stay hydrated during the whole day, so it’s even more important for your canine to stay hydrated while he is vomiting or having diarrhea.

Yet, make sure that you don” overdo with water and too much water can upset his stomach even more. Put his water bowl aside, somewhere he can’t reach it and give him ice chips instead every 2 to 3 hours. If he keeps that down, then give him more ice cubes and a couple of teaspoons of water.

Bone Broth – one of the most powerful things that you can do for your dog’s health and upset stomach is to serve your dog bone broth to help him heal and stay hydrated. This great remedy can be used for a long time, as you can freeze it and use it even when your dog is sick and gets cold for example.

Pro tip: You can also buy boxed bone broth.

Canned Pumpkin – when it comes to the first choice of many holistic veterinarians canned pumpkin is always present. Canned pumpkin has a low glycemin index, which helps with upset stomach and digestion. Smaller dogs can be fed can be fed ½ teaspoon of canned pumpkin, while larger dog breeds can be fed 1 tablespoon. Overall, canned pumpkin soothes the stomach.

Pepto-Bismol Or Pepcid – you can always give your dog crushed and mixed with water Pepcid or Pept-Bismol. The right dosage? It depends on your dog’s weight. You can always check with your veterinarian how much exactly of the medicine you should give your dog. Also, if you notice that dog’s stool is darkened it’s not a reason for alarm.

As with any other treatment, always consult your veterinarian before you proceed with treatment.

If you are insisting on helping your dog with exclusively non-human medications, few additional tricks can help you and your canine. The most popular natural remedy is to give your dog some banana or to mix rice with boneless chicken. Make sure that there is no salt. You can always add a small amount of water into this mix if your dog isn’t’ drinking water.

Grass

– when your dog suffers from an upset stomach you can see him eating grass whenever you are out in the walk. So, if you have some grass in front of your front lawn and your dog loves chewing it, let him, he is trying to heal himself. However, if this lasts for more than 3-4 days contact your veterinarian.

Good to know: Medicine products are made, so sometimes the manufacturers can change their formula over time, therefore it may not be safe for him as it was when he was the pup.

Seek For A Veterinarian

Watch for the overall pattern of the symptoms so you can know how to react. In mild cases, the symptoms should disappear during a period of minimum 24 to a maximum of 48 hours.

But, if your dog still seems uncomfortable even after that period or if they get worse, you should look for the blood in the stool, and if you notice some contact your veterinarian. These symptoms may lead to severe allergies, abnormal parasites, pancreatitis or other serious condition.

If your dog has ingested something potentially dangerous like a toy, food, or a plant – contact your veterinarian. Also, you should think about poison-proof your home, so your dog can be safe all the time.

Frequently Asked Questions On – Dog Upset Stomach

1. What Do You Give A Dog For An Upset Stomach?

When a dog is suffering from an upset stomach to case of diarrhea, commonly veterinarian will prescribe Imodium or Pepto-Bismol.

2. How Do You Know If Your Dog Has A Tummy Ache?

When a dog is in major stomach pain he will lose his energy and often be in bowing or praying position or even standing in an odd stance. He may show weakness and lethargy as well, and those two are clinical signs of an upset stomach.

3. Is Rice Good For A Dog’s Upset Stomach?

When humans are suffering from diarrhea first home remedy is always rice, so rice is safe to serve to your dog. However, if you have a puppy avoid rice because they just can’t digest it. Furthermore, that could even more upset their stomach. Luckily, some probiotics have all the same properties of rice in a format that is easily digestible and tastes like chicken.

4. Does My Dog’s Stomach Hurt?

Pain in the abdomen can be caused by several reasons. But, repeated episodes of discomfort in a dog’s stomach are named acute abdomen pain, which implies an underlying condition that must be treated to relieve your dog of its stomach pain.

5. Do Bananas Help A Dog’s Upset Stomach?

When you put your dog on fasting you can serve him a small number of fruits like bananas, pumpkin, or even oatmeal, as that food is considered to be gentle food that can be safely added to your dog’s menu to help with chronic stomach upset.